As he pulled in some two dozen kids for photos and high fives, the president said: "Everybody is a winner!"

Earlier, Obama officially welcomed egg roll revelers to the White House during brief remarks from a White House balcony.

"Is everybody having fun?" Obama said. "Happy Easter! This is the biggest event that we have at the White House all year long and it is our most fun event."

The day featured live music, cooking stations, storytelling, and sports and games.

Up to 30,000 people, each with timed tickets, were expected to cycle through the South Lawn during the day-long event.

Obama joked that he has two main duties on this day every year: Officiating an egg roll and introducing his wife, the first lady.

In her remarks, Michelle Obama stressed the themes of health and fitness, urging adults to make sure "our young people are active and healthy."

She also advocated healthy eating, saying that "I'm going to be over there on the chef's stage doing some demonstrations. I want to make sure that kids know that healthy eating and being active can be fun."

The first lady also praised volunteers as well as a special guest: "And we want to thank the Easter Bunny, as always, for being here."